Takeaways from the only debate in the Virginia governor’s race

By Eric Bradner, CNN

(CNN) — In the only debate of the Virginia governor’s race, Democrat Abigail Spanberger did not affirm her endorsement of Jay Jones, the party’s nominee for attorney general who said in recently disclosed text messages that a Republican colleague should be shot in the head.

But she also didn’t take back her endorsement either or call for Jones to exit the race, even as her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, repeatedly urged her to do so.

“It’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision,” Spanberger said on Thursday night.

The candidates’ tactics, in their only scheduled meeting before the November 4 election, offered a clear glimpse of where the race stands.

Spanberger, the former congresswoman who is well ahead in the polls, tried to play it safe and ducked questions even after they were repeated. Earle-Sears, seeking to make up ground, interrupted Spanberger during nearly every answer her Democratic rival gave during the hour-long debate, from the first question all the way through Spanberger’s closing statement, drawing frequent admonishments from the moderators.

Virginia and New Jersey are the two states choosing governors this year in races that are traditional barometers of the national political mood one year into a president’s term.

Here are four takeaways from the debate:

‘Abigail, you have nothing to say?’

Jones’ texts, first published by the National Review and later obtained by CNN, have become the focal point of the governor’s race. The first opportunity Earle-Sears had to speak, she sidestepped a question about eliminating the state’s car tax to put Spanberger on the spot.

“Abigail, when are you going to take Jay Jones and say to him, ‘You must leave the race?’” she said.

Spanberger ignored Earle-Sears then. But moments later, she was asked by moderators whether she will continue to endorse Jones.

“The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent. I denounced them when I learned of them, and I will denounce them every opportunity I get,” she said.

She wouldn’t directly answer whether Jones still has her endorsement, or whether he should drop out, despite several follow-ups from moderators and Earle-Sears.

“I’m saying as of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision. I am running for governor. I am accountable for the words that I say or the acts that I take, or the policies that I have put out,” she said.

Earle-Sears pounced, saying she wondered “why she won’t say it is not okay and that he must leave the race,” pointing out that Jones’ text messages also included suggesting his Republican colleague’s two young children should die.

“You have little girls. Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it, and then you would say he needs to get out of the race?” Earle-Sears said. “Abigail, you have nothing to say?”

Spanberger didn’t respond.

Notably, under Virginia law, there doesn’t appear to be any way for Jones to formally leave the race at this point without Democrats essentially conceding the election.

Early voting is already underway. There’s no deadline under Virginia law for a candidate to withdraw from an election, but it’s too late to remove a name or add a replacement to the physical ballot, Brian Tynes, a spokesman for the state Department of Elections, previously told CNN in an email.

Earle-Sears declines to denounce Trump

Moderators also put Earle-Sears on the spot about President Donald Trump. The lieutenant governor, who has closely aligned herself with Trump, was asked whether there is a place for rhetoric like what Trump used at conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s funeral, when the president said he doesn’t like his opponents and doesn’t want the best for them.

She said she “wouldn’t say that. I would not speak that way.” But she did not directly condemn Trump’s remarks.

Spanberger shot back: “When violent rhetoric comes from her side of the aisle, she refuses to denounce it.”

“He did not advocate murder,” Earle-Sears said.

The Republican was also asked if she needs the endorsement of Trump to win in November. Trump hasn’t backed Earle-Sears – years after she called on him not to run for president a third time – even as he’s endorsed Republicans for Virginia attorney general and New Jersey governor.

“I will take all endorsements, including the president,” she said.

Trans issues in schools

Spanberger was asked whether transgender students should be allowed to play sports and use locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity, and whether she would rescind Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s policy requiring boys and girls to use bathrooms aligning to their biological sex.

She didn’t take a position, saying those decisions should be made locally.

“In each local community, decisions should be made between parents and educators and teachers,” she said.

Earle-Sears has centered her campaign on trans issues and repeatedly pressed Spanberger to more directly answer the question.

At one point, Spanberger said, “There should never be naked men in locker rooms,” which partially echoed what Earle-Sears often says on the issue. In a Facebook post last month, Earle-Sears wrote: “Why can’t Abigail say it? Naked men don’t belong in bathrooms and locker rooms with young girls.”

The Democrat also sought to go on offense when she accused Earle-Sears of a history of discrimination, including opposing same-sex marriage, and for saying on a 2004 survey, when she was a congressional candidate, that she opposed workplace protections that include sexual orientation.

“That’s not discrimination,” Earle-Sears responded. “No.”

Her comment was noteworthy in part because the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, John Reid, is the first openly gay man to appear on a Virginia GOP ticket.

Spanberger presses on abortion access

Spanberger said she supports codifying Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision guaranteeing a federal right to abortion that was overturned in 2022. The state’s voters could decide in 2026 whether to amend Virginia’s constitution to do just that.

She was asked if she supports any restrictions on abortion rights and said she supports “the current laws within Virginia,” which include requiring parental consent for minors to receive abortions and allowing third-trimester abortions only when the life of the mother is threatened.

“But importantly, my opponent has threatened murder to women who have had abortions,” she said.

Spanberger appeared to be referring to a 2022 comment Earle-Sears made in a radio interview, which the Democrat’s campaign highlighted in an ad released just before the debate began. “Murder is murder, and one day it’s going to be your turn,” Earle-Sears said then.

However, on Thursday night, Earle-Sears didn’t advocate any new abortion restrictions, an indication of how politically problematic the issue has been for swing-state Republicans in recent years.

“It’s not my view. It’s going to be what the majority of Virginians want,” she said. “And by the way, there’s a constitutional amendment, and the voters will make that decision.”

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